Update on Pain Management

It's been almost 2 weeks since my appointment at the pain management center. First, let me say that the doctor did not impress me. He's arrogant and obnoxious, and talked down to me until my partner made it clear that she was a veterinarian. I.E., a medical professional that couldn't be bullshitted.

That being said, he definitely knows his stuff as far as fibro goes. He did the pressure test to confirm that I have it (no doubts there!), and then he started telling me about a new drug, Savella. Very few side effects, and those show up in a small minority of the people on the drug. He gave me a prescription and a coupon for a free titration pack to get started with. It took a few days to get started -- no one carries the titration pack in stock, and finding a pharmacy to take the coupon was tricky. Say what you like about Wal-Mart, they took the coupon!

So, today is day 10 on Savella. It's my third day at the full dose (5o mg twice a day), and yesterday I did something I haven't been able to do for a long time.

One of my big jobs around the house is cleaning ferret cages. It's physically demanding, and for the past two years it's been such a painful thing to do that I haven't done it any where near as regularly as I should, especially the part where I change the bedding, which frequently requires getting down on my hands and knees to clean the lower part of the cage. When I've done it, it's taken an hour and a half to do one average sized cage -- the bigger ones have been impossible! Yesterday, I cleaned an average cage in 45 minutes, including a full bedding change! I used a foam kneeling pad, where I've been using both that and strap-on knee pads. I was able to get up and down fairly easily. And while I'm more sore today than I was yesterday, I should still be able to clean another cage!

So, while the doctor is not a fun person to be around, he does know what he's talking about. And that's what I really care about!

Beginnings

Well, I can't promise how often I'll post here -- I'm new to this. But I thought I'd celebrate 11 months of knitting by trying something new.

So, things I'm working on -- a pair of fingerless mitts for a friend, an afghan for my mother, washcloths for a charity I'm starting up. Nothing huge or exciting, but then I like doing small things. Suits the quick gratification need that I've got!

On Ravelry, I'm Beth123B. I'm in about 21 groups, including one I started, called Peace Work. It's a charity knitting/crocheting group for people who are interested in creating a bit of peace through their fiber creations.

In real life, I'm a stay-at-home fibromyalgic, who takes care of our animals. My partner is a veterinarian, so needless to say, we have a menagerie. The largest part of the menagerie is the ferrets -- we're hobby breeders. Check out our website -- Ravensnest Ferrets. We've also got 3 cats and 5 dogs -- 4 Great Danes and a Papillion.

That's the bare facts about me -- if I remember to post more, I'm sure you'll learn more.